


Mirror, Mirror on The Wall (Show Me Where The Snow Will Fall)

by wintercanwait



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Norse Mythology, Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crossover, Fairy Tales, Implied Torture, Loki Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 20:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/727453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintercanwait/pseuds/wintercanwait
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time there was a boy with all the power of the universe reflected in his eyes. Once upon a time there was a prince who has loved too hard and paid the price of betrayal. What happens when they're one and the same?</p><p>This is a story about love and betrayal, lies and magic mirrors, about unworthy sons and men with magnetic hearts. This is a story about an unwanted boy growing up to be a king he never wanted to be and a genius growing up to be a knight in a shining armor (of some sort). This is the kind of story in which happy endings aren't reserved for heroes.</p><p><i>Snow White and The Huntsman</i> AU in which Loki is Snow White, Tony is The Huntsman and Thor is The Prince.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mirror, Mirror on The Wall (Show Me Where The Snow Will Fall)

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on my other story, but this one has been bugging me for a very long time. It was very successful in driving my attention away from the Olympics AU so I decided to work on this one, too. So, here we go. The first part of the _Snow White and The Huntsman_ AU.
> 
> Now, I know there is an AU of this kind but with Loki/Thor pairing. I didn't read it because of the ship, and -- yup, I needed this to be Loki/Tony story. I hope you'll like it. And really, in this story Thor just couldn't be The Huntsman. I have tried and failed, my friends.

Once upon a time in a land of eternal winter, in the middle of the century long war, the Queen was walking through the ice gardens admiring the effects of joined forces of nature and magic. She was tracing the smooth petals of marvellous ice rose when an image appeared on a glass-smooth ice wall of the cavern the garden was hidden in. The queen blinked but when she lifted her eyelids again the image was still there. Vivid, strong colours, so foreign in their land, were slowly painting ever-changing image on the wall, the image so beautiful the queen could not tear her eyes away. She looked and watched a land of eternal summer, the golden halls and gardens full of colourful roses. She looked and looked, and she heard laughter, saw a boy with impossibly green eyes running across the golden halls and green fields, and the longer she looked the sadder she grew. Her hand stopped tracing the colourful lines and smooth ice edges, wandering to her abdomen instead, embracing it in a protective manner. And as the first tear froze on her cheek the Queen swore an oath that she would love this child with all her heart and would never let any harm come to it.

But alas, it is not like fairy tales work.

And so once upon a time in the land of eternal winter, in the middle of the century long war, a baby was born to the King and the Queen of the land. The baby was small, too small for their race, with all the power of the universe reflected in its eyes. And the child, this too small boy, was a creature of magic, a creature of ice and fire, and the King could feel it. And perhaps this strange, unnatural contradiction was what scared the King so much. But the Queen only smiled when she took the child in her arms and kissed its forehead gently, whispering sweet promises and the words of love to its tiny ear.

Soon after the Queen passed away, exhausted by the hard childbirth, cold of this never-ending winter and fire of her child’s tiny body. The King looked with pained eyes at her still form and thought of centuries of love and devotion gone in a moment short as a blink of an eye, because of this runt-like child. And then he felt anger rising in his chest, replacing grief and despair, burying it deep inside his heart. He took one last look at the Queen and swapped the child into his arms, and before the dawn has come he went deep into the mountains, into frozen caverns, to the ancient, long forgotten temple. He laid the child on the ground then, intending to kill it with one fast blow of an ice sword. But the boy choose that moment to open his eyes, as red as the eyes of his queen, and the King could feel the whole might of the universe staring at him with those tiny eyes. He let the ice blade melt off his hand and left, not turning once when the boy started crying.

There are those who say that this act, the decision to abandon this innocent child to die in the frozen caves of Jötunheimr, was what brought King Laufey’s demise. Others say it was madness that fell upon him after Queen Fárbauti’s death that pushed him to openly attack the Æsir’s forces. Some say it was both, as the madness was the Gods’ punishment, for Laufey’s intentions were clear and much condemn by The Forgotten Gods of Winter.

Whatever the reason, the truth is that Jötunheimr fell the very same day. Warriors of Asgard were better prepared and soon Laufey’s army was forced to retreat. Many were killed that day and the battle fields ran with blood. It soaked into the ice dying it red and to this day the grounds are called The Fields of Blood.

King Laufey himself was killed that day in the ferocious battle with Odin The All-Father. Many and more thought that with him the soul of the realm died too. But those, those were wrong.

No one knows how Odin found a way to the ancient temples of The Forgotten Gods of Winter, but the legend says it was Verðandi herself who led the King of Gods into the frozen caverns, and showed him a small, half-frozen child she named Loki Laufeyson, the prince of Jötunheimr.

“No,” Odin said, shaking his head as he took the boy into his arms and touched his forehead gently. The child’s skin turned from light blue into the palest shade of cream, his blood-like eyes became impossibly green. “From now on he will be known as Loki Odinson, the prince of Asgard,” the King said and Verðandi smiled with approval.

“Your decision is a wise one, The All-Father,” she said quietly, stroking the child’s head gently. “But you must be cautious for the boy’s powers are great, far greater than anything Jötunheimr has ever known, and his path is hidden from us and neither Skuld nor Urðr can see what is to become of him,” she warned Odin then, kissed the child’s forehead and disappeared quietly.

Odin left Jötunheimr in ruin and darkness, leaving Býleistr, the eldest son of Laufey, on the throne. The victorious army returned to Asgard and was greeted with first rays of a rising sun. The All-Father presented his people with what was thought to be the most valuable treasure of Jötunheimr, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Only then, when the entire Realm was feasting and celebrating, he took his Queen for a walk and showed her little Jötunn prince. The Queen Frigga took the child into her arms and smiled. The boy stared at her with his impossibly green eyes and all she did was to hold him closer and sing him a lullaby until he fell asleep in her arms. And with that the boy Verðandi referred as the heart and the soul of Jötunheimr, became the most guarded secret of The Realm Eternal.

 

 

\--- ❅ ---

 

 

Years have passed and the little prince grew up surrounded by love of his family, unaware of his origins and the full extent of his powers. The Queen has loved her adopted child no less than her own, and Thor has adored his little brother since the moment he saw him. The two of them soon became inseparable: together they learned how to fight as all young Æsir do, they learned history and strategies together as it befitted the young princes and then they played together as all siblings do. And only Odin, mindful of Verðandi’s warning, watched the boy carefully and was never able to show him love and attention Loki so desperately needed.

Despite his best efforts to be like other Æsir boys, the little prince was little loved throughout the kingdom. The people of Asgard did not know of his heritage of course, but disguising the son of Laufey as Áss didn’t make him one, not truly, and they knew him to be different: a dark haired child in the family of golden hair, a child with magical powers not seen in the Nine Realms for centuries. Perhaps that’s what made people so afraid, so much power held by the little God of Fire, for fire equalled chaos in their minds, and it has always been a well-known truth in the Nine Realms that the brave warriors of Asgard did not like to be afraid. And so they blamed the little prince for their fears and started resenting him for a simple fact he was there.

The Queen worried for her son had no friends other than his brother, regardless the fact that Loki did his best to be like his peers. He spent more time than the others learning how to fight with a sword and an axe, even if knives were his weapon of choice. He learned battle strategic, hunting and survival skills. He spent long hours during the nights discovering his powers, learning how to use them without hurting anyone. The scholars were astonished by his intelligence, the quickness of his mind and extraordinary talent he displayed. And the little prince was eager to learn, to understand the inner workings of the universe, hungry for knowledge and discipline needed to keep his powers restrained. His trainers were another matter, always complaining about his skinniness and his lack of muscles, the way he favoured knives over traditional Asgardian weapons.

The Queen took upon herself to teach her sons of all responsibilities that came with being a prince. And so she showed them pain and suffering to teach them compassion, she showed them life at its best and its worst so they could learn to aid those less fortunate than them. The little prince took deep into his heart his mother’s lessons and he did his best to try and aid them whenever he could, even when he was too small to use a proper sword. But even then his unusual wisdom let him give advices, resolve fights, and thanks to his magic he was able to repair broken things and heal animals. Alas, it did nothing to earn him love of the people, on the contrary, they looked ill at him when a small child proved to be wiser and more skilled than thousands years old gods. Nevertheless Loki’s effort did not stop and Thor often accompanied his brother on his visits in the city, as Loki was often a part of his and his friends’ adventures.

 

 

\--- ❅ ---

 

 

Once, only a few decades after The Great War, the little prince decided he did not wish for people to see him aiding them. It had been a particular bad week and Loki felt fed up with all the evil looks and criticism he heard. And so he asked his brother to accompany him on his tour around the city, in a disguise this time. After a long argument followed by hastily made promises both princes left their golden armours and royal garments and donned simple tunics, before Loki used a simple illusion spell to hide their faces from the world. They wandered around the streets for a while, watching craftsmen working and children running around. Then the little prince heard a pained whimper coming from an alley they were passing by. He did not even stop to think before he jolted into this alley and fished a wounded dog’s pup. He always had a soft spot in his heart for wounded and abandoned creatures, maybe somewhere deep he knew he was one, so he did not listen when Thor said that father would be displeased, he only hugged the pup tighter and used a teleportation spell to take them to the palace.

“We found it in an alley,” the little prince explained when the queen was helping him dress the pup’s broken paw. “I could not leave it there, mother, it is so small,” he added defensively, with such heart-breaking honesty that even Odin could not help but smile warmly at his adopted son.

“You did well, my son,” Frigga said, stroking the puppy’s fur gently. “And do not worry yourself too much, Loki, it will heal in time.”

“I’ll look after it,” Loki volunteered instantly. “I will call it—Fenrir.”

The room fell silent for a moment, as Loki crouched next to the dog and his mother. Frigga looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes met Odin’s and she smiled.

“You possess a rare beauty, my love. In here,” the queen said, cupping the little prince’s cheek with her hand, before lowering it so she touched his chest, and continued, “Never lose it.”

 

 

\--- ❅ ---

 

 

More time had passed, years changed into decades and the prince was forced to build more and more walls around his heart in order to protect it from the hurt he was enduring every day from mouths and hands of the people of Asgard. Every year brought a new mask and soon even the Queen started forgetting how her son’s eyes looked like lightened by an honest smile.

Thor had found new friends, comrades skilled in battle and as hungry of glory as he was; he spent less and less time with his brother and more with Lady Sif and The Warriors Three. Yes, he would remember his little brother but only when he hasn’t seen him for days or when the queen pointed it out, usually after Loki’s pranks became more cruel and vicious than usual. He would go and drag Loki on yet another pointless adventure that ended with bloodshed. On those occasions Loki was usually forced to use his magic in order to protect them all, for which he never heard as much as a simple thank-you.

He still went into the city to help people, mindful of all responsibilities that befall to the prince, but now, now he went alone for Thor had more pressing things to do, like drinking and fighting with his new friends; now he wore his invisibility spell more often than not, far from desire to be recognised and chased away again. And only the Queen watched him carefully with heart squeezed with pain, waiting for the moment all those carefully built walls would crumble and fall, leaving her boy broken.

Decades soon turned into centuries and the time had come when the little prince discovered love and betrayal. His heart was shattered into pieces by the ones that were supposed to love him unconditionally and it was never mended the same way. His face became a stony mask he put down only once or twice in a century now, when he felt especially tired and vulnerable and his mother ordered him to talk. The walls around his heart became thicker and stronger, to the point he himself forgot how it was to have it light and free.

 

 

\--- ❅ ---

 

 

Then the time had come when the King of Gods was about to fall into deep sleep to restore his strength. After all even gods cannot truly live forever. The time had come and Odin decided to make Thor a king regent in his place. There was a murmur in the golden halls of Asgard then, as many believed the young prince not ready for such a difficult duty. But the king was insistent and so all the doubts were hastily forgotten by all except for one. The second prince was well aware of what would happen to his beloved realm if his brother was to take a place on the throne. In his mind he saw a war, his dreams were invaded by bloodshed and frozen fields covered with bodies. And so he went to the All-Father and tried to reason with him. But to no avail, for Odin had set his mind and no words, no matter how wise and true, would change it.

The second prince spent hours meditating, trying to find a way out of this situation, but all he could see were clouds gathering over all of the Nine Realms. And so he decided to risk everything and cloaked himself in a spell, hiding himself from The Watcher’s gaze, and through the hidden path between the branches of Yggradsil went into the Land of Elways Winter and struck a deal with two of the Frost Giants. His plan was clear and simple and it never truly endangered Asgard. The Jötunns were dead before they could touch The Casket of Ancient Winters, the coronation was first delayed and then stopped altogether, when Thor hastily announced that if he was the king of Asgard there would be an army on the way to Jötunheimr right now.

“But you’re not a king!” Odin’s angry voice echoed from the walls of the treasure vault and Loki forced himself not to twitch. This voice he knew all too well and it was usually reserved for him. “Not yet,” Odin added quietly, his voice no more than a whisper, and Loki closed his eyes for a second, not letting himself to sigh in relief just yet, forcing his face to stay a blank mask of concern.

But in this short moment in Odin’s ancient volts the second prince let himself think that his task was done, that he did indeed protect his home, his people from his brother’s rule. He was sure his father will appoint his wife to rule in his stead as the Queen Regent, and it was all Loki really wanted, his beautiful, gentle, wise mother on the throne of Asgard. And he almost, almost let himself believe that his plan had worked.

What he did not anticipate, though, was how great of a fool his brother could be sometimes. He did not foresee Thor gathering his friends and dragging Loki along with them to Jötunheimr to confront the Jötunns’ leader, nor did he know about a foreign army of monsters ready to storm the fallen kingdom and take it for their own. If he did know any of this, he would have never let Thor leave.


End file.
